CSS Albemarle
Civil War Confederate Ironclad Ram

CSS Albemarle (1864-1864)

CSS Albemarle , a relatively small ironclad ram, was built at Edwards Ferry, North Carolina. Commissioned in April 1864 under the command of Commander J.W. Cooke , CSN, she almost immediately went into action. On 19 April 1864, Albemarle attacked U.S. ships off Plymouth, N.C., sinking USS Southfield and driving away USS Miami and two other gunboats. With their waterborne communications severed, the Union forces were forced to surrender Plymouth to the Confederates.

Just over two weeks later, on 5 May, Albemarle , accompanied by the steamers Cotton Plant and Bombshell , steamed out into the North Carolina Sounds and attacked another U.S. Navy force, consisting of the "Double-ender" gunboats Sassacus , Wyalusing and Mattabesett , converted ferryboat Commodore Hull and small gunboat Ceres . Though Sassacus made a valiant attempt to sink the Albemarle by ramming, she was badly damaged in return. The Confederate ironclad was but lightly damaged in the engagement, which threatened the entire Union position on North Carolina's internal waters.

Desperate circumstances yield desperate responses, and on the night of 27-28 October 1864, Lieutenant William B. Cushing , USN, took the torpedo boat Picket Boat Number One upriver to Plymouth and bravely attacked Albemarle at her berth, sinking her with a spar torpedo. Following the Union recapture of the town, Albemarle was refloated. Taken to the Norfolk Navy Yard in April 1865, she remained there until sold in October 1867.

19th Century photographic reproduction of an artwork

CSS Albemarle at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, after salvage, circa 1865.
Two ladies are standing on her deck, near a section of displaced casemate armor.

Ironclad of the Roanoke
Gilbert Elliott's Albemarle
The story of a Confederate Ironcald that was a powerful force until sunk by a Union Torpedo Boat after its brief stormy life. Ironic in the fact it was built in a Cornfield. Confederate Ingenunity at it finest!

The Civil War on Hatteras Island North Carolina
New light on the experiences of Civil War soldiers stationed on the Outer Banks. It follows the crucial maritime battles along the Outer Banks and the famous Burnsides Expedition. Aa fascinating history of how one of America's most treasured islands played a significant part in the Civil War

Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken after the ship was salvaged, 1865

U.S.S. Sassacus and C.S.S. Albemarle
19th Century photograph of an artwork, depicting USS Sassacus ramming the Confederate ironclad, during Albemarle 's engagement with Federal gunboats on Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, 5 May 1864. Sassacus was hit in a boiler and disabled during this action. Albemarle was not significantly damaged by the ramming or by gunfire.

Cushings Daring and Successful Exploit
Artwork by Bacon, published in "Deeds of Valor"
It depicts the attack on CSS Albemarle by a torpedo launch commanded by Lieutenant William B. Cushing, USN, at Plymouth, North Carolina, 27 October 1864.
The torpedo boat is shown crashing over Albemarle 's protective log boom to deliver its torpedo against the ironclad's hull.

Sunk off Plymouth, North Carolina, circa 1865. She had been sunk on 27-28 October 1864 by a torpedo boat.
One section of her armored casemate has been displaced.
Photographed by W.B. Rose for A.J. Smith of New Berne, NC.
Taken from the wharf at Plymouth, with the swamp and woods opposite the town in the background.

Sid Meier's Civil War Collection
Take command of either Confederate or Union troops and command them to attack from the trees, rally around the general, or do any number of other realistic military actions.

History Channel
Civil War A Nation Divided
Rally the troops and organize a counterattack -- Your strategic decision and talent as a commander will decide if the Union is preserved or if Dixie wins its independence

Year on a Monitor and the Destruction of Fort Sumter
Personal view of the Civil War Navy. The monitor saw action in several significant naval assaults by the Union's Squadron. It took part in the failed Federal attack on Sumter in April 1863. The "Nahant" also participated in the capture of the Confederate Ram "Atlanta," and in the assault on Fort Wagner

War, Technology, and Experience aboard the USS Monitor
The experience of the men aboard the Monitor and their reactions to the thrills and dangers that accompanied the new machine. The invention surrounded men with iron and threatened their heroism, their self-image as warriors, even their lives

Life in Mr. Lincoln's Navy
A tantalizing glimpse into the hardships endured by the naval leadership to build and recruit a fighting force. The seaman endured periods of boredom, punctuated by happy social times and terrifying bouts of battle horror

American Civil War Fortifications
Coastal Brick and Stone Forts
The design, construction and operational history of fortifications, such as Fort Sumter, Fort Morgan and Fort Pulaski. Stone and brick forts stretched from New England to the Florida Keys, and as far as the Mississippi River. A handful of key sites remained in Union hands throughout the war, the remainder had to be won back through bombardment or assault.